Easy Pea Soup

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food.  Here is another installment of "$5 Fridays"- a meal for two for less than $5.

Hi.  I know I should be making a meal with some sort of chicken, since Vons has whole chickens on sale for 67¢/lb this week, but I wasn't in a mood for chicken yet, although there is one in my fridge right now.  Instead, I got really lazy for this post. 

The "tubes" of soup mix by Manischewitz cost at most $1.75 when not on sale. The soup mixes have been on sale the last two weeks.  I like that there is a mix of yellow and green peas and a seasoning mix included.  No thinking.

Put the smoked ham hocks in a pan with 7 cups of water, bring to a boil. (If you can't read the label above, the two hocks cost $1.59). Smoked ham hocks have more flavor.

Add only the peas TO the boiling water and ham.  Don't put peas in the cold water, or they stick to the bottom when cooking.  If added to boiling water, they float and cook.

You will keep this on a low simmer for one hour.

There is a seasoning packet inside with the peas and it has a lot of salt (as well as onions, celery seed and sugar..and MSG).  I truly buy this mix for the seasoning packet, since you only need about 1/3 of it for this much peas, and can buy a pound bag of split peas for 99¢ just about everywhere... You add the seasoning mix during the last ten minutes of cooking..ONLY add 1/3 packet with this serving of 5 ounces of peas and 7 cups of water.

   

When cooking is done (about an hour), remove the ham and cool and cut off the bone.

It is smoked ham and will be pink like this.  There will be a lot of ham and not much bone.  The ham is not salty tasting because it is smoked.

Add the ham back to the soup.

I stir and mash so the peas are mushy and the soup is thick.

Always serve with rye bread, which will be the most expensive part of the meal.

Cathy's Non-Lazy Pea Soup (not the one above)

Boil the smoked ham hocks with chopped up carrots, celery and onion in 8 C water(or broth or stock).  Add 1/2 C dried split peas.  Seasonings to add at end of a one hour boil are salt, white pepper, celery seed.

Comments

[sawyer]

that looks like a mighty tasty soup...i've never had pea soup before. maybe it's time to try it out

[Su-Lin]

I've never had it either! I guess it's kind of like lentil soup?

[nhbilly]

My wife loves this soup I will have to make this for her. Thanks!

[cathy]

It is yummy soup and gets quite thick, Sawyer...You must've missed the joy that is Pea Soup Andersen's on I-5 at Palomar airport road, in the hotel with the GIANT windmill. It was *perfect* pea soup. The canned stuff Andersen's sell is very good, but expensive.

Hi, Su-Lin-I guess I am showing more of my Polish (and The Mister's Scandanavian) roots in this recipe. I usually have pea soup with ham; lentil soup is vegetarian for me. Pea soup is usually thicker.

Well, I gave you the 'from scratch' as well as the *really* lazy ways of preparing it, Bill, so it depends on ingredients on hand and time constraints.

[Passionate Eater]

Wow, that is so affordable and easy! Great idea!

[Cathy]

Hi PE- Kinda lazy, too...but I am trying to do a series of meals with no need to stock a kitchen. Lots of students out there read us, you know. I do cook quite complex things too... :)

[Passionate Eater]

Thanks Cathy for the email--I really appreciate your input. And even though I am not a student, I love learning about affordable meal options. I look forward to more cooking!

[jeffrey c]

Cathy, another winner. I always wondered how the pea soup tasted meaty. I love the mashed peas, too. And the rye bread definitely goes well with this. What a great hearty meal. Perfect for those cold San Diego nights.

[Pam Phillips]

Oh, wow. It's such a long time since I bought one of those soup packs. Your pea soup is very close to how I learned to make it as a kid. Looks delicious!

[Cathy]

Right, PE. I do think we all enjoy tasty and inexpensive as well as fairly healthy meals. I learned how to long ago and never forgot. I just had never posted my "recipes" on the blog before.

Glad you enjoy my cooking, jeffrey. In the cooler months when friends come to the house, I serve soup, salad and home baked bread...and some sort of dessert, of course.

Happy to revive a memory for you, Pam. Next time you are in the store pick some up. (I share your 3rd belief from your blog, BTW)

[John]

I picked up all the ingredients today and my wife and I are going to try this this week! Looks great!

[Cathy]

I'll check your blog to see how it turns out, John. Welcome to the commenting side of our blog, and congratulations!